53 Veon

Veon, the third day of the Evernight festival, is a time of great joy throughout the kingdom. Especially for families, since dinner is a gathering, a feast. A time where even differences were reconciled because of the long living custom.

Leah was looking forward to dinner with her daughter after three long years. Slade felt relieved that her daughter finally completed the maid training. Archie thought this was one of the best days of his life. Everything was going so well, but now what was Arnacia talking about?

A joke? No way! The Arnacia they knew was bluntly honest. They never expected a lie out of her mouth. Why was this happening to their family? They could clearly see Arnacia's teary eyes.

"Sister, we get it. You are maid Arnacia now. A maid of Lanceworth Castle." Archie's lips paused with a little gap.

"You must be tired from the journey. I will prepare hot water." Leah dropped a plate on the table and moved around the table to get close to Arnacia. She touched her daughter's forehead and turned to Slade. "Naomi said it's fatigue from the carriage."

"Our family won't be separated after you two go to Lanceworth. Me and your mother will come to visit you regularly." Slade said his thoughts.

"I am not your daughter. My name is Estelle and I just happened to wake up in the body of your daughter."

The family members froze. The happy dinner sunk in silence. But suddenly, heavy thuds were heard from the window. Everyone turned to see the intruder.

"Arnacia is lying!" Naomi's muffled voice invaded the room. "It's only a simple memory loss and her memories are slowly recovering. It's only a matter of time…" She paused as she saw Arnacia, who sadly shook her head. "No, no, no, tell me you are lying."

Naomi hit on the window and saw Arnacia, who was now separated from her because of this wall. She didn't want to believe what she just heard, but all the memories of this new Arnacia flooded in. The more she thought about it, the more she believed it was a stranger trying to pose as her childhood friend. She turned away from the window and tears flew from her eyes.

Everyone inside the house heard retreating footsteps. Slade, who was sitting on the right of Arnacia, got up from his chair and left the room. Leah looked at Arnacia one last time before following her husband.

Archie was sitting on the left of Arnacia. He looked at sister and didn't know what to say for a while. It was pretty crazy what he just heard, but witchcraft was a rumor well versed by ordinary people. It was a predicament, like bankruptcy. Everyone knew of it, yet few had experienced or seen it among kins.

"Why did you tell us?" Archie put his hand on Arnacia's shoulder.

"Just wanted to be like Arnacia, I guess." Straightforward and honest. Well, the real Arnacia was honest to the point of being oblivious to society.

"I will check on mom and dad." Archie said. He shook Arnacia's shoulder so that the girl would look at him. "I still see my sister. Eat and then I will prepare the bath for you."

"I don't think I will eat anymore." Arnacia got up from her chair. She turned towards the door, but Archie interrupted before she could take a step.

"You are still staying with us, right? Stay here with us. You won't have any trouble. I will prepare a bath for you and show you your room," Archie insisted, but he tried to not make it obvious.

Arnacia understood the true motive behind Archie's words, but still she chose to stay. First, she didn't have any other place to go. Second, if she ran away, then her family would definitely try to find her. The best option was to lay low at the house while trying to think about the future.

"Thank you for helping me," Archie said as he tried to get up.

"No, you don't have to push yourself. Lylia said she paid for the doctor, so it would be good if you visited him as soon as possible."

"Really you are not my sister." Archie looked away but continued, anyway. "The doctor lives deep in the forest and doesn't come out to treat patients. And my condition won't allow me to go there now, but I will go there someday and take the money back."

Arnacia was interested in this doctor. It was as if a path opened in front of her. A possibility. What if the doctor was interested in taking an apprentice?

"I will go there tomorrow," Arnacia said. "Don't worry, I won't run away because I have no place to go."

Archie pointed out a room. He didn't plan on saying anything, but changed his mind when Arnacia got up. The boyish clothes. This person really had disguised herself to meet Lylia. "The bath is at the back of the house. You can go outside and around to enter it. Make sure to lock the door from both sides."

"Thanks." Arnacia left for her room. It was pretty simple, like the rooms in Sleeping Quarters. A single wooden bed near the window, a wide brown wardrobe.

The little light in the room was because of a lamp on the bedside table. Arnacia thought of the moment she transmigrated in this world. She moved to inspect the lamp. It was a reverse teardrop shaped lamp with a small hole on the top. A candle quietly burnt inside it.

'No magic in this.' Now that she thought about it. Every lamp in the Garden of Chambers must be running on magic. It must be the same for the hot bath. She sighed and searched for a new pair of clothing from the wardrobe.

The shirts were nearly folded and piled up on top of another. But every last one of them was sleeveless. Next she looked at the pants and every last one of them was wide legged trousers. There weren't any night dresses either.

She put aside a deep orange shirt and a black pants for tomorrow. And picked a white shirt and green pants for tonight. The dinner was ruined, and she hoped the family would eat when she wasn't there. She wished to drown her sad mood in a bathtub.

A part inside her believed things would get better tomorrow morning. It was highly unlikely, but she believed she was young enough to say that it will be a good life. On the other note, she was also worried about her father, Eliot.

What happened after she died?

She didn't wish to think about it. Going back to her own world? If she saw even a shimmer of possibility, she would've tired with all her might. But she believed there was little merit in thinking about things she couldn't control.

The best course of action was to live. For the longer she lived, the more possibilities would open up for her. By her lonesome, she entered the bath and began to search for the magical object that was used to heat water in this world.